


James Ironwood(Stargazing)

by BlossomFromFear



Series: Eye Of The Beholder [3]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Character Study, Other, POV James Ironwood, POV Male Character, POV Third Person Limited, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:21:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29496468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlossomFromFear/pseuds/BlossomFromFear
Summary: When things get too stressful after a busy day and facing the beast that is paperwork, James takes a small breather.
Series: Eye Of The Beholder [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2090181
Kudos: 5





	James Ironwood(Stargazing)

It had been a long day for James up in Atlas. Now holed up in his office, determined to complete the monstrous stack of paperwork that sat atop the desk. He neatly shuffled already completed papers to set off to the side; leafing through them to make sure they were in order.

_Promotions, furniture replacement requests...equipment and tech updates...vacation requests...I could use a vacation._

James recalled the day he’d been officially included in Oz's inner circle. The amount of new information he’d received was overwhelming at first, a compound of a dozen thoughts and emotions passed through his head at a dizzying pace at the time. Salem, the Relics, and the Maidens...it was almost entirely too much at once.

Immediately, it had been in his best interest to establish two things as his top priorities: making the positions as separate as possible and ensuring safety of the kingdom’s citizens. In order to avoid having the responsibilities clash with one another. As well as have solid security in case anything were to ever happen. There was success in the first half of the method for a time.

But only a month into being a Headmaster and it was already becoming harder to keep them in their respective corners of his life. Students were wanting to talk with him at times he’d been busy with military duties and soldiers were requiring time slots in which he was handling academic obligations.

The latter half of his priorities had gone smoothly. An increase in technological development opened the door for a new type of Atlesian drone.

While in his thoughts, his hand glided over the next folder titled _Incident Report_. Attached was a file that he could only assume was the follow-up report. Quickly skimming through its contents, he snapped it shut and placed it down firmly.

Gloved fingers raised to pinch the bridge of his nose. With a heavy sigh, all he could do was close his eyes.

_Would it be too much to ask to go one day without such a ridiculous report on my desk?_

How difficult could it be to put airships in the hangar bay and keep them intact?

Without another second spent dwelling on the substandard, he raised himself from the desk and exited. No one was around to grab James' attention or ask numerous questions as he headed for the roof.

The cold of Solitas greeted his face as he stepped out onto the rooftop. The door slowly closed behind him as he pulled out his Scroll and projected a Star Chart. James approached the building’s ledge where his custom telescope sat, lowering himself down next to it to look through the lens.

Carefully, he studied the chart and starlit sky for familiar constellations. There was no Big Dipper, Little Dipper, or even Orion’s Belt on this fine night. Instead, there was a constellation that he hadn’t seen in years...since he was 10 years old.

James always loved being in his father’s observatory growing up, it was where he spent a lot of his free time. Remembering fondly all the times he’d ask about the planets and stars, but never being fully satisfied. Constantly wanting to know more and more about what resided outside the outermost layers of the atmosphere.

There came one night when his father had peered into the telescope’s lens and responded to what he saw in total delight. James could still hear the excitement in his voice, calling him over to come look at what he’d seen. At first, he couldn’t quite make out what he was supposed to be marveling at until it was explained to him using an aged Star Chart.

The way calloused hands had smoothed out the paper and began searching for the constellation like a long-lost friend. Intense blue eyes shifting back and forth across dozens of stars that were mapped out until they came to a halt and a finger stopped to hover over one in particular.

Ara or the Altar – a constellation that always evaded James’ father until that evening. It was said that the Gods of Light and Darkness created this to commemorate when they were finally able to reconcile and bring to life Mankind.

After that day, James spent any time he could finding the constellations on his father’s chart and learning about where they’d be located and when. As he got older, it became more of a pastime or an activity to unwind from exhausting days like today.

He chuckled to himself, realizing he had let time run away from him in terms of keeping up with his hobby throughout the year.

_It really has been a while...hasn’t it._

Looking at the tundra down below through the veil of windswept snow, a team of huntsmen were seen headed towards the mountains. His eyes moved back to the sky, staring dreamily upward.

A loud ping was heard from his scroll causing his shoulders to flinch and bring him back into the present. James went over to check what it was that had caused his Star Chart to be removed.

_It seems putting Clover up to the task of sorting this out went smoothly._

Taking a moment to admire the efficiency of the man rapidly climbing the ranks like he once did when he was younger.

Without wasting another second, he tucked the device in his pocket and began to return inside. Hand hovering over the door handle— he went back. Only to get one last look at Ara through the telescope. A final glimpse into his childhood before having to shut the door to Memory Lane, unknowing of when it would be opened again.


End file.
